We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
With big data comes big risks…
This is even more the case in today’s growing digital era. Any company or organisation can be at risk of data theft if they’re not careful. That’s why cybersecurity is crucial to ensure that any risk of data theft is kept at a minimum. It’s not just about working hard to prevent cyber-theft, but it’s about working smart to stay one step ahead of the game.
The risks are huge.
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Just like other companies who have suffered a publicised data breach, Equifax’s finances have reportedly taken a hit.
The credit-reporting agency enjoyed share prices at $146.26 in August 2017, but as soon as the breach was made public, the shares reportedly plummeted to just $92.98 in the following month.
Low third-quarter profits may reflect trust issues in the firm after Equifax suffered a data breach that exposed the sensitive information of over 145 million people, including thousands here in the U.K.
Our Data Leak Team are already acting for U.K. victims.
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Robert Morrisey was prosecuted by Preston Crown Court for sending confidential information about 183 people to his personal computer.
At the time of the breach, Morrisey was working as a mentoring co-ordinator for Rochdale connections Trust charity.
In copying the sensitive information without permission or the knowledge of his employer, Morrisey lost his job. He also lost his position as a Magistrate and was ordered to pay over £1,800.00.
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The ethical handling of data has always been the aim of data protection watchdogs and officials. Companies and organisations have the responsibility to handle data securely under the Data Protection Act (DPA), but there is a term known as ‘ethically handling data‘ that’s growing in popularity.
The difference with ethical handling of data and normal handling of data goes beyond privacy, some believe. It’s about whether customers are aware of how their data will be used and how it will be protected from third parties above and beyond what anyone would generally assume.
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Uber recently admitted to a historic data breach that compromised personal data belonging to some of its 57 million users and drivers worldwide. With six million of those users in the U.K., a significant number of people in Britain are expected to be potentially at risk of further criminal activity like fraud and digital harassment.
To make matters worse, the breach happened a year ago in October 2016, but instead of telling the authorities, Uber decided to ‘handle it’ by finding the hackers and paying them off to keep quiet.
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In the past few years, the National Health Service (NHS) has made attempts to expand and ease the pressure on its extremely busy and hectic services with use of new technology. This included setting up an entire NHS internal email system that allows staff to send ‘secure’ emails to each other to share ‘sensitive information’.
An electronic prescription service is also available that allows GPs to send a prescription directly to a pharmacy.
But in the increasingly interconnected digital world, what are the concerns over using such technology? Should we be worried?
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The National Health Service (NHS): the provider of the nation’s healthcare that we put our trust and confidence in to look after us and care for our bodies and minds. In that trust, we usually give them unlimited access to our medical records.
Within those medical records, the NHS know all about our bumps, scrapes, embarrassing ailments and our most guarded mental health issues. They are a target for hackers and are leading the leagues when it comes to the highest number of breaches, which is very worrying. A lot of it is down to inadequate systems and procedures, but for the victims, it can become a life-changing event.
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Data leaks can cause an absolute chasm of problems and, in reality, an unlimited amount of damage.
Personal information that’s been exposed can be used to create all sorts of damage and it may never end. The psychological effect can be hugely traumatic and distressing, so this type of damage can be very difficult to recover from. Monetary losses can be calculated in pounds and pence, but putting a figure on the cost of personal damage isn’t an easy science.
It can be done, though; and here are some of the highest recorded payouts.
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Only a few months ago, the University of East Anglia faced huge criticism when it accidentally sent out private and confidential information about students’ extenuating circumstances to hundreds of American Studies students.
Vowing to do better, the University gave the impression it would improve data protection procedures to ensure a similar incident wouldn’t happen again.
Sadly, it appears they have failed to uphold this, given there are now reports that sensitive information about a staff member was sent to 300 students in a second data leak. How can this have happened?
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Equifax made history when it was hacked. Personal information belonging to an eye-watering 146 million people in the US, UK and Canada was at the centre of the breach.
The incident caused massive outrage as the hack was performed by exploiting a known vulnerability that Equifax failed to patch up. Affected consumers were understandably shocked and angry by the violation of their data rights, some weren’t even aware Equifax were storing their information. All the anger and disappointment aside, the breach has a real life risk to those exposed. So, what can be done to protect them?
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